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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28040067">Story #6</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Banbury/pseuds/Banbury'>Banbury</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>A Thousand Ways to Meet You [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Sentinel (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, The Sentinel Secret Santa 2020</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-11 00:27:48</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>560</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28040067</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Banbury/pseuds/Banbury</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A bit of warmth on a cold night...</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>A Thousand Ways to Meet You [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2037064</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Drabble Day - due 13 Dec - cider prompt</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Story #6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>2020 TS Secret Santa Drabble Days - Prompt: cider</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>There was two hundred people if not more and it felt eerie. Jim rubbed his hands together, it was really cold today - not that Cascade was famous for its endless sunny days, but today was especially frosty and gloomy. </p>
<p>Simon touched his shoulder and indicated that he would go look around. Jim nodded and stepped up on the tree trunk to get an image of the makeshift campus. It was dark despite two bonfires on the opposite sites of the field and even with his better-than-average sight Jim had just the vague outline of the place.</p>
<p>“Hey, man…” </p>
<p>Jim turned around. There was a young man, probably student, huddled into himself. He had a plaid over his jacket and a funny fur hat sat on his thick curly hair.</p>
<p>“Yes?...”</p>
<p>“Sorry, but what it is all about? Can’t you find another time to do drills than the fucking coldest night in Cascade? People are hurting from this cold more than they might…”</p>
<p>Jim smiled slightly. The guy was passionate and caring, though he apparently suffered from the ordeal as much as the others.</p>
<p>“Sorry…” Jim waited until the young man reluctantly supplied his name, “…Blair. I know it sucks, but it can’t be helped – it was actually pure luck we even discovered the information in time for…” He looked closer and realized that his accuser’s lips were almost frosty blue and he the shivering became quite pronounced in the span of a couple of minutes. “Wait here!”</p>
<p>Blair’s eyes got comically wide when he watched the big man jumped down and raced somewhere towards the fire. He didn’t really want to blame the man for this dare situation but he did need to take his frustration onto somebody in order to put the whole situation into perspective and be able to function properly.</p>
<p>“Here.” The cup of something incredibly hot and sweet-smelling warmed its way into his hands and unbelievable gentle hands of such a buff man as Jim put one more plaid around Blair’s shoulders.</p>
<p>“Thanks, … Jim.”</p>
<p>“Don’t mention it, Chief, you are right, the terrorists should’ve chosen another day or go fuck themselves and die ugly death, but don’t you worry, our SWAT team nearly finished going through the dorms and …” Jim cocked his head a bit as if listening to something. Blair’s heart was trying to jump out of his chest, but at this moment the bigger man put his hand to the ear, as if pushing some button - “Yes, sir. Ellison’s out” – and the dream dead a little. </p>
<p>“… and it seems that it was some disgruntled student rather than real terrorists, who had all of you shiver in your plaids and scarves on the street in that cold weather.”</p>
<p>While his words were almost joking, the eyes became suddenly as cold as the night and determination was written in the thin line of his clenched lips. “Sorry, Chief, have to abandon you, but my people need me. Drink your cider to the very bottom and be ready to go back. Take care.”</p>
<p>The policeman saluted Blair and disappeared in the crowd so fast, that the student didn’t have time to say anything. Blair sighed, looked into his suddenly empty mug and began his way towards the nearest cider-point to refill mug. It really helped and the other world as well wait for Blair to be ready.</p>
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